Utah Jazz waive Boris Diaw, will sign Euroleague MVP Ekpe Udoh

Thursday , July 13, 2017 - 4:59 PM

BRETT HEIN, Standard-Examiner Staff

The Utah Jazz have agreed to terms with former lottery pick Ekpe Udoh, according to reports from The Associated Press and The Vertical. The team also announced Thursday it has waived forward Boris Diaw.

Udoh, 30, returns to the NBA after two years resurrecting his career in the Euroleague. In 2017, he led Turkey’s Fenerbahce to the Euroleague championship and was named the final four MVP. He averaged 12.1 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game in 2017.

The 6-foot-10 big man will sign for two years and $6.5 million, according to The Vertical.

After playing collegiately at Baylor, Udoh was drafted No. 6 overall by the Golden State Warriors in 2010 and played five seasons in the NBA.

In a June profile in the New York Times, Udoh was chronicled as being a “cult hero” — the most popular of 131 American players in Turkey because of his skilled play, his dive into Turkish culture and his relationships with fans.

Diaw, a 14-year NBA veteran, played in 73 games in his lone season with the Jazz. The second year of his contract, in which he would be due $7.5 million, was set to become guaranteed Saturday.

The Jazz waived Diaw to make room for Udoh and two other free-agent signings this week.

Wednesday, the Jazz agreed to terms with 11-year veteran Thabo Sefolosha, a 6-foot-7 swingman, for two years and $10.5 million, as well as seven-year veteran Jonas Jerebko, a 6-foot-10 big man, for two years and $8.2 million.

The team’s busy offseason has also included the departures of All-Star Gordon Hayward and veteran point guard George Hill, a trade for point guard Ricky Rubio, and signing utility man Joe Ingles to a four-year contract.